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We conclude our look at some of the most prominent voices in the second language learning community with James Crawford, who has long been an activist for more effective bilingual education policies. A former editor of the online magazine, Education Week, Crawford has written numerous essays and books discussing language policy in schools, advocating for sensible language-learning legislation, pushing for … Read More
How an Anti-bias Curriculum Benefits the School Community
An anti-bias preschool curriculum is one that seeks to acknowledge and challenge prejudices in education and works to remove them from the teaching and learning environment. Schools using an anti-bias curriculum are acknowledging that many Western societies, though growingly diverse, continue to function with inherent inequity and racial cultural bias, and that this naturally carries over into education, which is … Read More
Resources for ELL and LCAP in California
ELL and LCAP With an approximate ELL enrollment of 1,521,772 students in the state public school system in 2012-2013, California currently holds the largest percentage of ELL student enrollment in grades K-12 in the country at almost 25%. The state also accounts for one-third of the districts with the highest concentration of ELL students in the United States, the largest … Read More
Reading Aloud to English Learners
Reading is a vital function of teaching ELLs, but reading aloud can be an enriching strategy for keeping students engaged in the components of becoming fluent in the language for many classrooms. By reading to students, instructors can stress the importance of vocabulary, reading comprehension, and foster positive progress towards fluency in the language, while making the learning experience fun … Read More
Americans Love Their Local Schools
One major point stood out like a bright light in the dark in the 47th Annual PDK/Gallup Poll about the public’s attitudes toward public schools – Americans love their local neighborhood schools. According to the poll’s analysis, “Americans consistently give the highest grades to the schools that are closest to them and that they may have more experience with and … Read More
Growing Family Trend: Grandparents Raising Children
Children who are being raised not by their own biological parents, but by grandparents who have taken them in for a wide array of heartbreaking and troubling reasons, come from households as disparate and unique as the neighborhoods and ethnic groups in which they live. It’s a trend that some experts believe will only continue to rise in light of … Read More
Instructions for Teachers Working with ELLs
Classrooms throughout the United States are reflecting an increasing collection of students from diversified backgrounds, as an estimated 11.2 million limited English proficient children are now enrolled in classes from grades K-12. With such a large segment of the school population at often widely disparate levels of English language comprehension, it has become crucial that teachers are cognizant of the … Read More
Understanding Basic Terms and Definitions for English Learners
Understanding Basic Terms and Definitions for English Learners The following are some terms that you’ve no doubt heard before, but you may be unclear on the definitions that are associated with each of them. This primer should help to better delineate between the most commonly used acronyms and jargon that parents and teachers alike might find confusing. ESL: English as … Read More
A New Framework for Hispanic Parent Programs
A New Framework for Hispanic Parent Programs Now that Parent Involvement is such a strong national focus, it is important to provide teachers with a whole new framework for Hispanic Parent Programs, if we want parents and kids to become life long readers. Harris County Department of Education formed the Cooperative for After-School Enrichment, or CASE, in 1999 to mobilize … Read More
What is Cultural Competence in the Classroom?
As defined by the National Education Association, cultural competence is “the ability to successfully teach students who come from a culture or cultures other than our own. It entails developing certain personal and interpersonal awareness and sensitivities, understanding certain bodies of cultural knowledge, and mastering a set of skills that, taken together, underlie effective cross-cultural teaching and culturally responsive teaching.” … Read More